| Historic Name: |
Gabulson Packard Service and Hobbs Battery Co. Inc. |
Common Name: |
Phototronics/ Glazer's Camera Supply |
| Style: |
Commercial |
Neighborhood: |
South Lake Union |
| Built By: |
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Year Built: |
1928 |
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| Significance |
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In the opinion of the survey, this property is located in a potential historic districe (National and/or local). |
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This small warehouse/ garage building was designed by architect William R. Grant for A. J. Eberharter in 1928 and appears to have been erected around the end of 1928 or the beginning of 1929. It is typical of 1920s and 1930s warehouses built in the South Lake Union area. Many of these buildings were, in fact, designed by the same architect William R. Grant, and often for the same client, A. J. Eberharter. Typical of their design is the symmetrical composition, cladding in brick, usually rug brick in a variety of browns, raised parapets, pilasters signaling the edges of a bay or of the façade, cast stone trim and clerestoried storefronts. Ornamental shields in cast stone usually accentuate the center of the façade or of a particular bay. William R. Grant, who signed many of his drawings as W. R. Grant, worked as an architect from 1911 to 1954 and in partnership with his son from 1947 to 1954. Outside of the South Lake Union area, he was also responsible for Christ Episcopal Church in the University District and for the West Home Funeral Chapel in the West Seattle Junction neighborhood.
Original drawings show that the façade of this building had two storefronts with multi-pane clerestories. As in the case of the south storefront now, there was an entrance door inset to the south, with a bumped out plate glass shop window and three doors, which included multi-pane glazing. The mirror image of this was supposed to be repeated in the northern bay. Based on photos included in the King County Tax Assessor Records, however, the northern storefront had already been modified by 1936, although it was still glazed. At this time, the building housed several industrial, automobile related businesses, such as Gabulson Packard Service and Hobbs Battery Co. Inc. By 1949, the building was already associated with photography: “Farnan and Seeman Wholesale Photographic Distributors, Seattle, Denver” had a prominent sign over the southern storefront. In 1967, King Screen Productions were tenants of the building. There are also drawings from 1982 showing that the building was altered to house the photography studio of Bruce Carroll. According to these drawings by Demitruk Architecs, a garage door was removed from the north storefront and replaced by glazing.
Despite changes, particularly to the northern storefront, the building has kept enough of its original materials and design to be considered of historical significance. It is also part of an ensemble of buildings in the South Lake Union neighborhood designed in the late 1920s and 1930s, with characteristic design elements.
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| Appearance |
| This is a one story building, with one main façade. Clad mainly in rug brick, with ornamental trim in cast stone, the façade has a symmetrical composition, designed with two clerestoried storefronts, above which is a low, raised gabled parapet. The edges of the façade are marked in plan by a staggered thickening in the wall, expressed visually in elevation as two engaged pilasters, with cast stone bases and stylized cast stone terminations, (not typical capitals), at the top of pilaster shafts, which themselves are clad in brick. The top of the storefront opening is emphasized by a horizontal stretcher course. The storefronts themselves have intact clerestories, divided into four sections of multiple lites. (Closest to the pilasters, the first end clerestory section consists of a double horizontal row of five square panes; the other four sections have a double horizontal row of six panes). The storefronts below display various levels of architectural integrity: The southern storefront (left), has glazing with an entrance door inset to the north. The northern storefront glazing has been partially filled in and finished with a eifs material, while a roll-up door takes up the rest of the opening. Despite the loss of some of the storefront glazing, the building façade retains a sufficient amount of its characteristic historic fabric and detailing. Also of note is the cast stone ornamental shield, placed above the storefronts, under the apex of the gabled parapet. |
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| Status: |
Yes - Inventory |
| Classication: |
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District Status: |
LR |
| Cladding(s): |
Brick, Other, Stone - Cast |
Foundation(s): |
Concrete - Poured |
| Roof Type(s): |
Flat with Parapet |
Roof Material(s): |
Asphalt/Composition |
| Building Type: |
Transportation - Road- Related |
Plan: |
Rectangular |
| Structural System: |
Brick |
No. of Stories: |
one |
| Unit Theme(s): |
Architecture/Landscape Architecture, Commerce, Manufacturing/Industry, Transportation |
| Integrity |
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Storefront: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Original Cladding: |
Moderate |
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Changes to Plan: |
Intact |
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| Major Bibliographic References |
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King County Property Record Card (c. 1938-1972), Washington State Archives.
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City of Seattle, Department of Planning and Development, Microfilm Records.
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Tobin, Carol. “Christ Episcopal Church, 4548 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA - University Neighborhood,” “Historic Property Inventory Report,” City of Seattle Historic Neighborhood Inventory Database. 21 June 2002.
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Sheridan, M. “West Home Funeral Chapel, 4400 California SW, Seattle, WA – West Seattle Junction,” “Historic Property Inventory Report,” City of Seattle Historic Neighborhood Inventory Database. 10 February 2002.
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